Hindsight
by Oriana
Summary: A year and a half has passed since the last Sorceress War....and another sorceress is rising. Old memories resurface and people return. Only one thing holds true : in hindsight, everything is 20/20. S x S.
1. prologue

Title: Hindsight

Part: prologue/?

Author: Oriana

Rating: PG-13 for now, maybe R later

Disclaimer: Characters and settings and pieces of plot belong to Squaresoft.  Everything beyond this point, especially creative ideas, belongs to me.  I don't like plagiarism.  So don't.

Notes: Wouldn't it figure that my muse decided to bite me (rather hard, as a matter of fact… *rubs ankle*)  just as I was preparing to go to Otakon?  *sigh *  Ah well!  I'll get the next part out soon, I promise!

The stone building was crumbling, not exactly the way he remembered it from when he was a small child.  What had happened to it beyond natural wear and tear?  This sad degradation was obviously not due to the normal course of time.  Squall laid a hand on the cool rocks of the outer wall, trailing his fingers as he navigated the fallen branches and boulders.  "Matron…?"  He called, before remembered that Cid and his wife had gone to Esthar to research the toll that Rinoa's reception of the sorceress powers had caused on Edea's body.  

            Squall felt his lip curl of it's own accord.

            _Rinoa…_

            The bitch had never been aware of the powers she received, not even for the briefest moment.  In hindsight, Squall knew he had been a fool.  In assuming that Rinoa had been controlled by outside forces as Edea had been, he's set himself up for a shock when she once again attempted to revive Adel.  She didn't succeed in her original objective – but she did absorb the other sorceress' powers, adding them to the Ultemicia/Edea powers that she had already inherited.

            Squall sighed, the bed creaking as he lowered himself to the old mattress.  Her actions had only compounded the problems he was having with their 'relationship' – enough that he had left on this 'extended vacation' without telling her that he was leaving.  Quistis and Selphie were the only two who knew where he had gone – Quistis because she was Acting Commander of Balamb Garden while he was away, and Selphie because it would kill her if she wasn't privy to the secret.

            His stomach growled, and he ventured back outside to the Ragnarok to get the needed supplies.  For some oddball reason, Laguna had insisted after the whole Lunatic Pandora debacle that he keep it for her own personal transport.  Strange guy – but Squall wasn't complaining.

*-*-*-*

            Squall spread the blankets out on the small bed that he and Seifer had intermittently shared as children.  He could have used the much larger mattress in Cid and Edea's room – but he had a rather justified aversion to it after catching them in the act the last time he and the others had visited.  The brunette shuddered at the memory – it had been like watching his parents.  He put it out of his mind and shucked off his boots and slacks, hanging his precious jacket on the bedpost.  The act sparked an immediate sense of déjà vu, and he couldn't stop his smile at the odd familiarity of his actions.  If he tried, he could almost call up a memory of a small version of himself going through the same movements.

            And if he tried harder, he could picture Seifer and himself as kids, huddled together for warmth on a cold winter night; comforted by the lulling rhythm of the waves breaking and crashing against the beach not far away.


	2. chapter one

Title: Hindsight

Part: prologue/?

Author: Oriana

Rating: PG-13 for now, maybe R later

Disclaimer: Characters and settings and pieces of plot belong to Squaresoft.  Everything beyond this point, especially creative ideas, belongs to me.  I don't like plagiarism.  So don't.

Notes: Yay!  I wrote this one in driver's ed, so don't hurt me if it sucks.

P.S. – I SOLD MY ART AT OTAKON!  THERE IS A GOD!  Or goddess.  Or whatever.

* * * * * * * * * *

"War!  Let's play war!"

"Awww, Sephie, you ALWAYS wanna play war!"  Zell shoved his small hands in his pockets.

" 's cause it's fun!" Seifer grinned, gleefully hitting a distracted Squall with a stick.

Grey eyes flashed in irritation, and the smaller boy snatched up his own stick, slashing at Seifer's head.  "Stoppit, or I'll… I'll…"

"You'll what?  Poke me with yer stupid stick?"  The blonde taunted, sneering down at him.

Squall's cheeks flared red, and he leapt to his feet.  "It's NOT a stick, it's the Mighty Lionheart!  And it'll cut ya dow--"

"Squally!"  A short little blond girl marched up to them, fists planted firmly at her hips.  "Seif'r!"  She shook her head in disapproval.  "Hon'stly."

"Sephie, wanna play with Exeter n' me?"  Irvine looked up from 'polishing' his toy gun, trying for his most charming grin.

"Kay!"  The tiny girl bounced over to him, latching unto his arm.

Seifer looked over at Squall.  "Race ya to the beach!"  With that, he took off, leaving Squall to stare at his retreating back before breaking into a sprint behind him.

"Hey…" Quistis stood alone at the top of the hill, her lower lip stuck out in a slight pout.  "I though we were gonna play war!"

-*-*-*-*

He awoke with the vivid memories lurking in the back of his conscious mind.  Squall rubbed a hand across his eyes, blearily expecting that Matron would be in his room in a moment to talk him out of bed.

"Nnngh… I don't wanna get up…" He rolled over, pulling the pillow atop his head.  His leg reached down, searching for the covers, and he was jolted into awareness by the impact of his toes against the baseboard.  "Damn!"   Squall sat up, ruefully massaging his throbbing foot.  //Forgot the bed was so small…//

He heard a familiar chirping sound coming from somewhere outside, and his sluggish mind casually registered, 'Oh.  A chocobo.'  Squall stood and shuffled over to his makeshirt kitchen.  He flipped the switch on the propane stove with his uninjured toe, searching through a bag for a can of soup.  He found on, popped it open, and poured it into the pot on the stove.  As he picked up a spoon, the full import of the chocobo's presence struck him.

Aw, SHIT.

Maybe it was a baby.

Squall dropped the spoon, poking his head outside the door.  His heart sank when the saw the fully grown chocobo nervously fidgeting outside the old orphanage.  He felt exactly like the damned bird.

//So.  Somebody found me.//

He could automatically deduct that it wasn't Rinoa.  He'd have woken up to see her sprawled beside him, assuming that he would be thrilled to see her first thing in the morning.

It wasn't Quistis or Selphie – they would have arrived with the Garden in tow if there were an emergency that required his attention.

Cid and Edea were still scheduled to be in Esthar for another week or so, and President Loire wouldn't have been allowed to travel without a guard – and there was only one chocobo.

He ticked off the remaining suspects in his head.  Fujin and Raijin were helping with the most recent repairs to Fisherman's Harbor – Irvine was on Balamb Garden organizing the next Garden Festival with Selphie (and there was no way she would ever let him escape) and Zell was overseeing a SeeD field exam somewhere near the Shumi village up north.

The only other person should have known the location of his little haven had been MIA and presumed dead for almost a year and a half.

His jaw set, Squall retrieved the Lionheart from its leather case, striding out in his t-shirt and boxers.  He patrolled around the outside of the orphanage before heading down the rocky path to the beach below.

The brunette scanned the horizon for any ships – standard SeeD procedure – and listened for any footfalls behind and around him.  His gaze eventually swept to the lone figure straddling a mount of boulders, nearly hidden by the blanket of early morning fog.

"Hey."

No response.  Squall called again, starting towards the person with Lionheart drawn and at the ready.  "Hey…!  Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing here… Identify yourself, or I'll-- "

The figure's shoulders heaved with a long, exhausted sigh.  "You'll what?  Poke me with your stupid stick?"

The weary, monotone words struck Squall in the stomach like an iron fist, and he took a step backwards.  Grey eyes widened in shock as a sense of déjà vu swept over him once more.  "Seifer…?!"

"Yeah, and don't YOU look lovely in your new birthday suit."

Squall glanced down quickly, the back at the blonde.  "If you'd bother to turn around, I'm dressed.  Mostly."  His fist clenched around the handle of his gunblade.

Seifer obeyed momentarily, standing and running his hands through his hair.  He nodded once.  "Hello, Commander Leonhart."  He gave a mock bow, his hair stubbornly falling back across his forehead.

The brunette stiffened involuntarily.  "Don't call me that.  What are you doing here, Seifer?"

"Whatever are you talking about?  I once lived here, too, you know."

"Don't give me that crap.  Everyone though you died during the Lunatic Pandora incident…"

"Oh, so that's what they're calling it now?  An incident?  I though it rather a catastrophe, personally."

Squall rolled his eyes.  "You would… Call it what you want, Seifer, but even you have to admit that this re-emergence of yours is a little…"

"Odd?  Suspicious?  Blatantly sexy?"

Squall out a hand over his mouth to cover a quick twist of his lips.  "All but the last – and let's add convenient to the list."

Seifer smirked.  "Right, always forget that one… but if you don't mind me asking, how exactly so?  I've been a little…out of touch."

The other man deflected the question with a raised eyebrow.  "Did you come here purely to irritate me?"

The blond shifted his weight from foot to foot.  "That's a plus, but no.   I'm here to deliver a message."

"From?"

"President Loire."

Squall blinked.  That had certainly not been expected.

"Hello, Hyne to Squall!  Come in, Squall!"

The shorter man frowned, gesturing behind himself.  "Let's go inside to discuss this.  My breakfast is probably on fire by now."

"You cook, too?  Aww, the perfect housewife – I think I'm in love."

"Shut up, Seifer."  //As insolent as ever – no wonder he never made SeeD.  What should I have expected?  That he would change?  That he might actually feel some remorse for his actions?  Not Seifer.  Obviously.//  He glanced over at the blonde, only to find that Seifer had been staring at him, an odd expression on his face.  He caught the other's eye, and Seifer looked away, pretending that he hadn't been watching.

//Obviously…//  Squall reassured himself, an anxious feeling building in the put of his stomach.  //Obviously.//

~TBC~


	3. chapter two

Title: Hindsight

Part: 2/?

Author: Oriana

Rating: PG-13 for now, maybe R later

Disclaimer: Characters and settings and pieces of plot belong to Squaresoft.  Everything beyond this point, especially creative ideas, belongs to me.  I don't like plagiarism.  So don't.

Notes: Woooot.  Written at 3 a.m. because I have fucking insomnia these days.  *rubs bleary eyes *  

I think this is going to be a fairly long fic, so please bear with me and hang in.  I promise that it will get more interesting as it goes on.  More S x S action as well.

P.S. – I SOLD MY ART AT OTAKON!  THERE IS A GOD!  Or goddess.  Or whatever.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

"Congealed is the new look for food, or so I've been told."  Seifer dropped onto the couch, tugging absentmindedly on the belt loops of his worn jeans.

"Mm."  Squall threw his ruined breakfast into the trashcan with a disgusted sigh, waving the smoke out a nearby window.

            "You're still not wearing pants, by the way."  Seifer kicked his legs up on the crates that were masquerading as a temporary coffee table, eyes roaming over Squall's body.  The brunette sighed and sank down on the opposite side of the couch.

            "I'm fully aware of that.  Do you honestly think I'm going to leave you unattended in here?"

            "Hyne, -Commander- Leonhart, you make me sound like a fucking untrained puppy."  The blonde affected a wounded look, pressing a hand over his 'aching' heart.

            "Look, Almasy, you said you had a message – spit it out."  Squall leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest.  He raised an eyebrow as Seifer fidgeted uncomfortably.

            "Uh, it's not exactly from President Loire…"

            Squall massaged his temples.  "Define 'not exactly'."

"It's uh, well, mostly from me."  Seifer held up a hand, continuing quickly.  "But don't kick me out yet – please – I think you need to hear this…or at the very least you might want to…"  He looked over at Squall, eyes pleading silently for an audience.  "Just listen.  That's all I'm asking you for."

The smaller man nodded his reluctant acquiescence.  "You have five minutes."

"Then I leave?"

"No, then I ignore you and attempt to cook something edible."

"I'll make you a deal.  You let me talk until I'm done, and I'll cook."  He offered his hand, ignoring the jolt that went up his arm when Squall took it firmly into his own slightly calloused palm.

If Squall had felt the same thing, he didn't show any sign.  Seifer took this as a good sign in this case, and spoke, the words finally tumbling out of his mouth.  "I know about the Adel thing.  It wasn't what it seemed like.  She wasn't under her control; it was the opposite.  Rinoa was controlling Adel, I mean."

Squall nodded; he'd deduced as much himself – although he couldn't help but wonder how the other man had come across that information. 

"Anyways.  She's changed, Squall.  She's different.  Dangerous, even.  Have you looked at her eyes lately?  There's just something not right there.  I saw her in Balamb a few weeks ago," He added hastily, "I left before she could see me."

The brunette stared at him, a troubled yet relieved look on his face.  He hadn't exactly been on 'eye-gazing' terms with Rinoa lately, but… "So, I'm not the only one who's noticed.  I tried bringing it up with Zell before I left, but he gets so defensive about her."

Seifer stood, heading over to rifle through Squall's food stash. "So," he proposed, half kidding, "Do we kill the bitch or what?"  He waited for the expected sarcastic reply, or even a classic 'whatever', and was answered by the sickening sound of flesh against stone.  He turned, his heart sinking, to see the brunette crumpled on the floor, his head clutched tightly between his hands.  "Aw, shit, Squall – was it something I said?!"

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

It was hot.

That was the first thin he registered as he took in his new surroundings.

He looked down, wrinkling his nose at an unknown smell, and saw the charred corpse resting in agony at his feet.  He backed away, the burning town becoming visible over the horizon.  By squinting, Squall could make out the skyline.  The buildings were familiar enough that he trotted forwards to investigate.

Welcome to Balamb.

The sign dangled sadly by a single chain, swaying in an invisible breeze.  Squall touched the chain, and then quickly removed his hand – it was nearly melting from the heat.  

The buildings beyond the lone sign and him were in flames, and he could hear the cries of those trapped inside.  He started to move towards them, then the air in front of him shimmered and he heard a familiar voice as a woman's body slowly came into view.

"Oh, Squally."  Her tone was mocking, and Squall flinched at the use of the pet name.  "Always so compassionate.  You hide it very well, going about messing with people's lives like this."

"I don't know what you're talking about."  He took a step backwards, reaching for his gunblade only to find it missing.

A pair of coal black eyes appeared, narrowed and hard.  "Oh, you know –exactly- what I'm talking about, Squally.  And you are going to PAY for what you've done to me!"  The woman raised her hands in the air, a cruel smile playing across his face as she became fully visible.

"Ri-Rinoa?!"

Her hands tightened into fists as she cast her spell.  "PAIN!"

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

"Shiiit shit shit shit.  He's gonna KILL me if he ever finds out I used his shirt for this."  Seifer gingerly mopped at the blood on the side of the other man's head.  "God, Squall, how the fuck do you manage to knock yourself out from such a short fall?"

"Rinoa…" Squall turned his face towards Seifer, who quickly flung the brunette's Grateful Dead shirt into a corner as his eyes cracked open.

"Ah, sorry to disappoint you, but this is Seifer.  Hi."

Squall winced.  "Not disappointed.  Pain…"

"Well, yeah, you just conked your head on a stone floor, genius.  Instructor Trepe would be very proud of you."

"No, she cast pain on me, asshole…"  Squall shuddered as the aftershocks of the spell began to make their way through his body.  "C-can't even see… where are you?"

"Oh!"  Seifer rummaged through his pockets, catching on.  "Here.  Remedy.  Drink up."  He popped the top of the bottle off with his teeth, and pressing the contents to Squall's lips.

The brunette swallowed gratefully, raising himself to his elbows.  He reached out a hand and grasped Seifer's wrist, gripping it tightly as a look of –concern? fear?- flashed across his face.  "You okay?  Did she get at you?"

The blonde frowned, confused but enjoying the touch of Squall's skin against his.  "Squall, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"Rinoa…"

"Hey, it's okay.  She's not here."  He put a hand to the other's forehead. "You feeling all right?  You just hit your head, is all."

"No, she – I don't know how, but she was here.  Balamb – she had destroyed it.  And she was here.  Or I was there."  He let go of Seifer, hugging his arms about himself.

"Hey, whoa, Squall, slow down.  You're shaking like a leaf."  The blonde slid between the other man and the arm of the couch.  "Whatever happened, it's okay now, right?"

"No."

"Huh?" Seifer pulled away, perplexed.

"No, it's not okay."  Squall staggered to his feet, intent on heading for the Ragnarok.  "I have to get back to Garden."  

Hands held him firmly back, returning him to the couch.  "Fuck, Squall, you're still bleeding for Hyne's sake."

Grey eyes burned into green, and expression of pure frustration lacing his features.  "You don't understand."  What he wouldn't give for a sleep spell at the moment.  "I have to – "  

"Reality check.  If it's that urgent, call.  It's faster."

"Seifer, she's going. To. Destroy. Balamb!"  Squall's voice rose with each word, shocking the other man with the rare display of temper.

"Ah…" Seifer cleared his throat, waving his hand congenially in the direction of the Ragnarok.  "Shall we, then?"

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Rinoa sat in her room in Deling city, perusing the old photographs of herself and Squall.  The few that she hadn't yet thrown into the fire had been defiled – the heads of everyone save her and Squall had been carefully removed and were currently collecting dust in a corner.  Her eyes eventually landed on the picture Zell had snapped after they had defeated Ultimecia.  She picked it up, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.  

Yes, she would keep this one.

She set the photograph on her dresser, admiring the view of Balamb harbor in the background.

Yes…

Such memories.

--TBC--  


End file.
